Today's Entry in My Journal. . .

Today was so sunny and warm that I was outside almost the whole day.

Enoch and I had to do the breakfast dishes this morning along with the dinner dishes from last night.

"You wanna do the dished outside Hannah?"

"yeah, common!"

My younger brothers and I love doing the dishes outside. My older brother and sister think it takes longer that way but let me tell you. . . it doesn't :)!

So I fill a big stainless steel bowl with warm soapy water and carry it out to the yard.

I grab a big tub and Enoch fills it with warm water and I carry it out and set it next to the soapy water. Next comes the metal dish rack and next to that a big towel.

We take all the dirty dishes from the kitchen and stack them on the grass to the left of the soapy water. Nathanael was making icy mocha milkshakes and he said if I agreed to wash any dished he dirtied in the making of them then Enoch and I could share his delish concoction. I agreed. After sipping our portion of the milkshake Enoch and I begin. Our goal was to get all the dished done before the mailman came and saw us there. One hour was the approximate time we had.

I washed as fast I could the whole time we were laughing and singing a funny little tune that was stuck in our heads. We were pretending that we were having a garage sale and we were selling dirty dishes but if someone wanted to buy them clean, there was an extra fee.

When I would wash a larger bowl or something I would splash it into Enoch's rinse water so that was he would get a big spray of water on him. He filled a jar up with water and immediately doused me back. We were laughing and having a great time doing the dishes (can you believe that?? :) We sprayed water little bits of water at Nathanael when he would come near us. Soon Nathanael went away for a little bit. Hmm. . . where did he go? I did not have to wait long to find out. I was scrubbing something when a huge splash of cold water gushed down my back soaking my T-shirt. Mama said it was fine if we had a water fight. We decided to wait until the rest of the dishes were done so that way it would be more fair to Enoch and I.

We hurried up and got them all washed, rinsed, (the wind dried most of them :), and put away.

By the time we were done my clothes were almost all the way dry and I did not feel like having a water fight so we never did :P! We did get the dished done before the mailman came though!

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I grab my book, a pillow off one of the couches and also a small blanket.

I walk out into our woods, pass the tipi and exist the woods. Continuing on through the neighboring property full of christmas pines, I walk through a grassy area contemplating whether or not I should settle down there to read. After seeing a big spider scuttle further into the grass by feet I decide against it and continue on. Seeing a little plush-looking area of green grass near a honeysuckle bush and thinking it looks like the perfect place, I lay my blanket and pillow down and settle down on top of them. I open my book and find where I left off.

I read for a little while and then happen to glance to my left where I see a grasshopper hoppin'. Such a pretty green. . . I think as he hopped away.

After watching some ants scurry here and there in the grass I go back to reading my book. I read for a while. . . I'm right along with Corrie in the story, galloping to the front lines to warn Usyless Grant of the danger he is in. . .

I reposition myself and that's when I spotted him! I jumped out of the saddle and stood quickly to my feet. Mr. Wolf Spider scuttled away from my legs and into a fold of the blanket. Eeew! I don't like wolf spiders. I flip my blanket over hoping he came off. I'm not staying here. I need to find another grassy spot and then make sure Corrie is going to be alright. . .

I pick my blanket up as though it was a soiled rag and walk about 30 yards from Mr Spider's garden. After carefully inspecting my blanket and seeing no fat spider legs, I give it several hard shakes and lay it on the ground. I finished my book without seeing anything larger than a fly . . .

The only thing was, Corrie was not okay at the end of the book and I had to read more.

So I go into the house to get book 7 in The Journals of Corrie Bell Hollister series.

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When I came back into the house Mama asked me to make her a cup of tea. She said she likes how I make it and I enjoy measuring out the tea and making for her :) I made Mama her tea and then went outside again. I was asked to play a game with my brothers Nathanael, Enoch and our neighbor boy Jake who is just a little bit younger than Nathanael. After playing awhile they went to look at our little snapper lawn mower and I climbed up into a big maple with my book in hand and read. After a while Mama came out side with some loppers and started trimming away some dead stalks off some plants in her garden. I watched her from where I was sitting in the heights of the maple.

"Hannah!" she calls

"Yes?"

"Oh!" She looks up and smiles at me.

I smile back.

"Can you make some tortillas for dinner?"

"Yeah I can"

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Let's see, I'm gunna double the recipe so that would be six cups of flour.

"half, one, one and a half, two, two and a half. . . " I could not find a cup measure so I used a half a cup.

I found the little crock of celtic sea salt and added a tiny handful.

Next I got out the tup of baking powder and added another small handful.

Then I got the tea kettle going while I got a little clump of butter and mixed it into the flour.

I poured a little of the hot water in and mixed it up. I keep adding more until the dough is the way I like it.

After rolling them all out, I put four at a time on cooling racks under the broiler and keep a close eye on them. I used to always do them on the stovetop in a cast iron pan but recently I have been doing them under the broiler because I can do four at a time and it goes much quicker. Plus only one of the large burners on our stove half works the other does not work at all and so it is kind of a bother to try to cook 20+ tortillas on one broken burner!! But I never have liked to depend on a stove and always wanted to live without one so I am enjoying it :). The broiler does work though so I do use that!

After the tortillas are done I set the table, poured water, then went back outside where yet again the three boys wanted me to play a game with them. I agreed, because it is fun even if I did have a very interesting book that I wanted to be reading :) Jake's sister Abby came and played with us too. It was fun. We played freeze tag with a ball so there was alot of running around :) Just what I like!

Soon we were called in to dinner, and Mmmm! Dinner was yummy!

We had the tortillas, lettuce from the coldframe David made, homemade sausage, red onions in vinegar and salt with parsley, le puy lentils cooked with carrots and onions, and lastly a balsamic vinegar dressing Grace made. It was all so delish!

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Now I did want to share about a dandelion contest Mama did with my sisters and I, but my book is right beside me and is tempting me to read it so I need to go. I will tell you about the dandelion contest sometime soon. Maybe tomorrow :)